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Mild progress - working on small bodywork issues here and there on the shell and picked up some new front tires and almost new rears for super cheap. 205/50r15’s and 215/60r15’s. I am likely going to buy some wider repro Fuchs at some point with fatter tires so this is really just to get it going for now.

I have decided to build a mild 283 (or 327) with as little torque as possible and max rpm. The small journal early Chevy motors can definitely spin pretty high with not a ton of work. By high I mean 6500-7000 rpm.

I found some freshly redone 283/327 “power pack” heads with aftermarket beehive springs and aluminum keepers which should help with these goals. Super cheap deal $50 for the pair and ready to bolt on on and go.

The front chrome cookies are 15x6.... awesome for on an air cooled beetle - not so much for a car with flares. I waffle back and forth between wanting the cookie cutter and Fuchs styles. I have been looking for a while for another full set of 15x7 cookies. Found a really cheap set this weekend so... Better offset to help fill the flare and can fit a bigger tire. I will probably buy a set of repro Fuchs at some point too...

And I did end up buying a pretty clean 283 shortblock last week. It is in Everett so I will be making a trip down to pick it up probably right after Christmas. Turns out finding a decent early 60’s block that hasn’t been bored at least once is starting to be hard to find. I couldn’t find anything decent for a reasonable price in the Vancouver BC area at all.

And a Small world kinda story - we had a roll up door at work that was needing service so I called a place to come and fix it. I was talking to the garage door guy that came out and we were talking cars and turns out he is a Mercedes and impala guy.... was saying I had a 190e with a v8 swap. Showed him the pics on my phone......

He was like ... wow that's cool.... but that looks a lot like a 190e a friend of mine had about 5 years ago .....especially with those wheels.....he loved that car and had to sell it.... always regretted it. Turns out it was totally the same car!

Block stripped down - going to a local engine builder at the end of the month to be hot tanked and magna-fluxed. If it checks out then it is getting built with some “mildly trick” bottom end parts. In the background you can see I switched the drivers (and passenger) door for a newer set that have the better window regulators and side impact bars.

The block was sent out to be hot tanked and magnafluxed - should be back later this week. If all checks out after it is back it will be getting bored .030” over and prepped for assembly with a forged crank and eagle steel floating rods. Still up in the air about which pistons at this point.